Support structure for a shield and weapons system

ABSTRACT

A support structure for a shield has a frame adapted for connection to a wearer, the frame having an elongated first portion defining a frame axis and adapted for positioning adjacent to the spine of the wearer, the frame having an upper end, a boom connected to the upper end of the frame and having a first boom portion extending away from the frame, and a second boom portion angled with respect to the first boom portion and extending away from the frame axis, the boom having a free end, a cable reel mechanism connected to the frame, a cable having a first end connected to the cable reel mechanism and a free end extending from the free end of the boom and adapted to connect to the shield, and the cable reel mechanism including a biasing facility to exert tension on the cable to provide support for the shield.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/842,759, entitled “SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR A WEAPONS SYSTEM,” filedSep. 1, 2015, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/159,894 filed on May 11, 2015, entitled “REAPER,”which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for allthat is taught and disclosed therein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to firearms and shields, and moreparticularly to a support structure for a shield and weapons system thatallows the user to operate a protective shield and/or weapons system formuch longer periods of time compared to an unsupported shield and/orweapons system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

For several years, military and law enforcement agencies have beenresearching and developing products that assist the individual firearmoperator with gear carriage and operation. A significant emphasis hasbeen placed on increasing an operator's load bearing abilities utilizingbody armor, weapons carriage, and backpack mounting advancements. Theend goal is to provide equipment that provides the user with enhancedfunctionality while reducing weight and effort required.

For example, giving a user the ability to carry a shield or a shield andweapon system combination at a ready position is a force multiplieroption that requires equipment to reduce the user's effort required tocarry the heavy shield. In addition, heavier shields that providegreater protection often require the user to use both hands to carry theshield, thereby preventing the user from also carrying a rifle or sidearm in a ready position. Furthermore, although one prior art solution tothe problem of carrying a heavy shield is to mount the heavy shield onwheels, the wheels limit shield maneuverability and do not eliminate theneed for the heavy shield to be carried when the user encounters roughterrain or stairs that the wheels cannot navigate.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-3, an example of prior art equipment that seeksto achieve somewhat similar objectives in the field of handheld cameraoperation is the Easyrig® 3 Cinema manufactured by EASYRIG AB of Umeå,Sweden. The Easyrig® 3 Cinema, generally designated by the referencenumeral 10, is shown in use holding a camera 12 over the shoulder 14 ofthe wearer 16 in FIGS. 1-2, and with the camera at the level of thewearer's hips 18 in FIG. 3. The Easyrig® 3 Cinema seeks to transfer theload of the camera from the wearer's back 20 and shoulders to the hipsto reduce fatigue and increase the steadiness of the camera.

The Easyrig® 3 Cinema includes a frame 22 that defines a frame axis 40and is connected to a hip and back support 24 by upper and loweradjustment clamps 26, 28 with upper and lower adjustment knobs 30, 32.The location of the transfer of the weight of the handheld camera 12 tothe wearer's hips is controlled by the side support struts 34, 36. Aboom 38 extending upward and to the right of the frame has a downwardfacing exit aperture 42 for a cable 44. A camera hook 46 releasablyconnects a handheld camera to the cable. A shock absorber and pulleysystem (not shown) internal to the frame and boom holds the majority ofthe weight of the camera while also helping to steady the camera bycreating moderate resistance to movement. The cable has a sufficientlength to enable the camera to be moved as far as the user's arms 48 canreach, which enables shooting at both hip and shoulder level.

Although the Easyrig® 3 Cinema is suitable for its intended field of usein handheld camera operation, it has a number of disadvantages that makeit unsuitable for use as a support structure for a shield or a weaponssystem. The boom's exit aperture for the cable is intended for use withan object with a center of mass located directly below the exitaperture. Since a handheld camera is held over the wearer's shoulder oragainst the wearer's hip, the boom's exit aperture functions asintended. However, the center of mass of a shield or weapons system islocated well forward of these positions and the wearer's torso when theshield is held at a ready position, especially in the standing position(see FIGS. 4 and 16-20). As a result, the cable rubs on the boom at theexit aperture, which has the potential for causing cable failure withdisastrous consequences if a dangerous high-powered weapons system or ashield is attached to the cable instead of a camera.

Other features of the boom make the boom unsuitable for use as a supportstructure for a shield or a weapons system. The boom is quite large andbulky and presents itself too much if pointed towards an enemy position.The boom is also enclosed, which makes it extremely difficult for thewearer to access the boom's internal components if maintenance or repairis required, making it unsuitable for repair in the field.

Additional characteristics of the Easyrig® 3 Cinema that make itunsuitable for use as a support structure for a shield or a weaponssystem include a handheld-camera specific camera hook attachmentmechanism that does not adequately support a weapons system or a shieldand cannot be quickly released if immediate separation of the objectbeing supported by the Easyrig® 3 Cinema is required. The wearer mustadjust the Easyrig® 3 Cinema utilizing the adjustment knobs and sidesupport adjustments, and must use a custom rigid metal and plasticattachment system and back support to wear the Easyrig® 3 Cinema, whichprevents the wearer from also wearing utility vests, body armor, and/orbackpacks during use. Finally, the Easyrig® 3 Cinema utilizes a singleshock absorber to hold the majority of the weight of the camera, whichdoes not provide any redundancy in the event the shock absorber were tofail, and which instead creates sudden loss of support. This is a verydangerous outcome if a high-powered weapons system or a heavy shield isattached to the cable instead of a camera.

Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved support structure for ashield and weapons system that allows the user to operate a shieldand/or weapon system for much longer periods of time compared to anunsupported shield and/or weapons system. In this regard, the variousembodiments of the present invention substantially fulfill at least someof these needs. In this respect, the support structure for a shieldaccording to the present invention substantially departs from theconventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing soprovides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing adevice support structure for a shield and/or weapons system that allowsthe user to operate a shield and/or weapon system for much longerperiods of time compared to an unsupported shield and/or weapon system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an improved support structure for ashield and/or weapon system, and overcomes the above-mentioneddisadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art. As such, the generalpurpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequentlyin greater detail, is to provide an improved support structure for ashield and/or weapon system that has all the advantages of the prior artmentioned above.

To attain this, the preferred embodiment of the present inventionessentially comprises a frame adapted for connection to a wearer, theframe having an elongated first portion defining a frame axis andadapted for positioning adjacent to the spine of the wearer, the framehaving an upper end, a boom connected to the upper end of the frame andhaving a first boom portion extending away from the frame, and a secondboom portion angled with respect to the first boom portion and extendingaway from the frame axis, the boom having a free end, a cable reelmechanism connected to the frame, a cable having a first end connectedto the cable reel mechanism and a free end extending from the free endof the boom and adapted to connect to the shield, and the cable reelmechanism including a biasing facility to exert tension on the cable,such that tension on the cable provides support for the shield. Thereare, of course, additional features of the invention that will bedescribed hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of theclaims attached.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more importantfeatures of the invention in order that the detailed description thereofthat follows may be better understood and in order that the presentcontribution to the art may be better appreciated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front isometric view of a prior art Easyrig® 3 Cinemaportable camera support with the camera on the user's shoulder.

FIG. 2 is a rear isometric view of the prior art Easyrig® 3 Cinemaportable camera support of FIG. 1 with the camera on the user'sshoulder.

FIG. 3 a front isometric view of a prior art Easyrig® 3 Cinema portablecamera support of FIG. 1 with the camera extended forward at the user'ship level.

FIG. 4 is a rear isometric view of the current embodiment of a supportstructure for a shield and weapons system constructed in accordance withthe principles of the present invention in use.

FIG. 5 is a front isometric view of the frame and boom of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a rear isometric view of the frame and boom of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a front isometric view of the frame and boom of FIG. 4 withthe frame cutaway to expose the cable reel mechanism of the presentinvention.

FIG. 8 is a front isometric view of the cable reel mechanism of thepresent invention.

FIG. 9 is a right isometric view of the boom of FIG. 4.

FIG. 10 is a rear isometric view of the frame of FIG. 4 with the framecutaway to expose the cable reel mechanism of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is an exploded view of the boom of FIG. 4.

FIG. 12 is a front isometric fragmentary view of the boom of FIG. 4.

FIG. 13 is a right side fragmentary view of the boom of FIG. 4.

FIG. 14 is a left side isometric view of the support structure for ashield and weapons system of FIG. 4 in use in a rotary wing aircraft.

FIG. 15 is a front view of the support structure for a shield andweapons system of FIG. 4 in use in a rotary wing aircraft.

FIG. 16 is a rear perspective view of the support structure for a shieldand weapons system of FIG. 4 in use supporting a shield with a viewingport.

FIG. 17 is a right side view of the support structure for a shield andweapons system of FIG. 4 in use supporting a shield with an upperfirearm rest.

FIG. 18 is a front view of the support structure for a shield andweapons system of FIG. 4 in use supporting the shield of FIG. 17.

FIG. 19 is a left side view of the support structure for a shield andweapons system of FIG. 4 in use supporting a shield with opposing sidefirearm rests.

FIG. 20 is a front view of the support structure for a shield andweapons system of FIG. 4 in use supporting the shield of FIG. 19.

The same reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout thevarious figures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE CURRENT EMBODIMENT

An embodiment of the support structure for a shield and weapons systemof the present invention is shown and generally designated by thereference numeral 100.

FIGS. 4-12 illustrate the improved support structure for a shield andweapons system 100 of the present invention. More particularly, thesupport structure has a frame 102 having a right side 104, left side106, upper end 108, lower end 110, front 300, and rear 308. The framedefines a frame axis 112, has a hollow interior 118, and is closed atthe lower end by bottom cap 116 and at the upper end by top cap 114.Upper bolts 304 and lower bolts 302 secure a cable reel mechanism 306within the interior of the frame. The cable reel mechanism will bedescribed in more detail in the discussion of FIGS. 7, 8, and 11. Thetop cap defines a central aperture 120.

A boom 122 is pivotally attached to the upper end 108 of the frame 102by an elongated portion 176 of a pivot shaft 128 received within thecentral aperture 120 of the top cap 114. The boom also has a right sideplate 124, left side plate 126, front lower plate 130, rear lower plate132, front upper plate 134, and rear upper plate 136. The right sideplate has a right free end 138, right lower end 140, and apertures 142,144, 146, 148. The left side plate has a left free end 150, left lowerend 152, and apertures 154, 156, 158, 160. The front lower plate has aright edge 162, left edge 164, and bottom edge 166. The rear lower platehas a right edge 168, left edge 170, and bottom edge 172. In addition tothe elongated portion, the pivot shaft has a head 174, a notch 178, andcentral bore 180. The front upper plate has a right edge 182 and a leftedge 184. The rear upper plate has a right edge 186 and a left edge 188.

When the boom 122 is assembled, the right lower end 140 of the rightside plate 124, left lower end 152 of the left side plate 126, bottomedge 166 of the lower front plate 130, and bottom edge 172 of the rearlower plate 132 are received within the notch 178 of the pivot shaft 128and secured by welding in the current embodiment. The right edges 162,168, 182, 186 of the lower front plate, lower rear plate, upper frontplate, and upper rear plate are welded to the right side plate. The leftedges 164, 170, 184, 188 of the lower front plate, lower rear plate,upper front plate, and upper rear plate are welded to the left sideplate. The lower front plate, lower rear plate, upper from plate, andupper rear plate are used to help hold the right and left side plates inplace and to improve weld adhesion of the right and left side plates tothe pivot shaft 128.

In the assembled state, the boom 122 defines a channel 282 between theright side plate 124 and left side plate 126, a first boom portion 286,and a second boom portion 288. The channel within the first boom portion286 is axially registered with the bore 180 in the pivot shaft 128. Thefirst boom portion extends vertically away from the frame 102 along theframe axis 112, and the second boom portion is angled with respect tothe first boom portion and extends away from the frame axis.

Hex bolts 190, 192, 194, 196 are received in the apertures 154, 156,158, 160 of the left side plate 126. Hex nuts 198, 200, 202, 204 arereceived in the apertures 142, 144, 146, 148 of the right side plate124. The hex bolts have heads 206, 212, 218, 224, smooth portions 208,214, 220, 226, and threaded portions 210, 216, 222, 228. The hex nutshave heads 230, 234, 238, 242 and smooth portions 232, 236, 240, 244.The hex nuts also have threaded central bores (not visible) that receivethe threaded portions of the hex bolts. The hex bolts and nuts mountspacers 248, 258, 268, 278 within the channel 282. The spacers havebores 250, 260, 270, 280 that are rotatably mounted on the smoothportions of the hex bolts and nuts. A front upper pulley 252 having acable groove 254 and bore 256 is mounted on spacer 258. An intermediateupper pulley 262 having a cable groove 264 and bore 266 is mounted onspacer 268. A rear upper pulley 272 having a cable groove 274 and a bore276 is mounted on spacer 278. Spacer 248 omits a pulley and serves as acable support element 246. An exit aperture 284 at the forwardmostportion of the channel is defined between the cable support element,front upper pulley, right free end 138 of the right side plate, and theleft free end 150 of the left side plate.

The free end 292 of a cable 290 extends upwards through the bore 180 inthe pivot shaft 128, is guided forwards within the channel 282 by thecable grooves 274, 264, 254 in the rear upper pulley 272, intermediateupper pulley 262, and front upper pulley 252, and exits the channel bypassing through exit aperture 284. A clip 294 is attached to the freeend of the cable. A cable stop 298 is attached to the cable behind thefree end. The cable stop is larger than the exit aperture and keeps thefree end of the cable spaced apart from the boom by preventing the freeend of the cable from being retracted back into the channel by the cablereel mechanism 306.

A shield and weapons system attachment mechanism with quick release 296is connected to the clip 294. The shield and weapons system attachmentmechanism with quick release is connected to an intermediate portion 402of a weapons system 400, which is a rifle in the current embodiment. Theshield and weapons system attachment mechanism with quick releaseenables the weapon system and/or shield to be easily and swiftlydisengaged from the cable 290 when necessary. The quick release ismanufactured to a military specification that allows it to be used bysoldiers and law enforcement under their rigid requirements. The quickrelease system is also required by aviation regulators for users inairframes.

The quick release 296 is attached permanently to the free end 292 of thecable 290. The quick release is then attached to a specific weaponand/or shield mounting attachment that is designed to support a specificweapon and/or shield. Because of different configurations, weapon andshield sizes, and usage conditions, the use of a customized mountingattachment is important because a mounting attachment suitable for asmaller carbine or shield will cause mechanical issues with a largermachine gun or shield. There are four distinct weapon mountingattachments that can be connected to the quick release depending on theweapon to be attached.

The support structure for a shield and weapons system 100 has theconsiderable advantage of enabling the wearer to easily access the partscontained within the channel 282 and the frame 102 and replace them ifnecessary so that any needed repairs can be performed in the field. Theopen boom 122 provides the user with access to the cable 290 for fieldstripping and maintenance if the cable is damaged in combat.

FIGS. 7, 8, and 10 illustrate the improved cable reel mechanism 306 ofthe present invention. More particularly, the cable reel mechanism hasan upper pulley head 312 and a lower pulley head 314 that are connectedtogether by a pair of pneumatic springs in the form of left shockabsorber 316 and right shock absorber 318. The upper pulley head has atransverse shaft 320 that rotatably mounts two upper pulleys 322 withintwo channels 330. The lower pulley head has a transverse shaft 324 thatrotatably mounts three lower pulleys 326 within a channel 332. Togetherthese form a cable take-up mechanism between the pneumatic springs thatsupports the cable 290. A cable capture 328 retains the opposed end ofthe cable and prevents the opposed end of the cable from pulling outfrom the cable reel mechanism. The cable reel mechanism exerts tensionon the cable and resists withdrawal of the cable from the frame 102,thereby supporting a shield 400 attached to the free end 292 of thecable and transferring the weight of the weapon system and/or shield tothe user's hips via the frame 102 and belt rig 506. Two shocks are usedto provide redundancy and avoid sudden loss of complete support of theshield and/or weapons system, which would potentially be very dangerous.The dashed lines in FIG. 8 illustrate the fully extended position of thecable reel mechanism, and the solid lines illustrate the fullycompressed position of the cable reel mechanism. The cable reelmechanism includes a block and tackle mechanism of limited lengthproviding an extended range of cable payout length relative to thelimited length of the block and tackle mechanism.

In the current embodiment, the left and right shock absorbers 316, 318are each 200 N gas springs. However, the gas spring system can beconfigured from 80 N to 800 N of combined compression force, dependingupon the spring choice. The cable reel mechanism 306 has a 6:1 ratio,which requires the application of 67 N of force with the 2×200 N gassprings to create movement. If the cable reel mechanism is invertedrelative to the position shown in FIG. 7, the ratio is reduced to 5:1,which requires an extra 13 N of force to create movement with the 2×200N gas springs. The inverted position is essential for supporting largercaliber, and therefore heavier, weapon systems, such as medium and heavymachine guns, large caliber rifles, and/or rifles with heavy opticalscopes or other attachments, as well as heavy shields. The shockabsorbers can be accessed by the user in the field so they can beinverted as needed, thereby allowing a single support structure for ashield and weapons system 100 be configured as needed to support a widervariety of attached shields and weapons systems.

The upper and lower pulley heads 312, 314 are made of a self-lubricatingplastic material such as polytetrafluoroethylene in the currentembodiment, which enables smooth travel of the upper pulley block withinthe frame 102 because of self-lubrication. The upper and lower pulleys322, 326 and the front upper pulley 252, intermediate upper pulley 262,and rear upper pulley 272 are made of polyoxymethylene in the currentembodiment to provide high stiffness, low friction and excellentdimensional stability. The pulleys enable smooth movement of the cable290, which is essential for sniper and other applications requiringextremely precise shield movements. The upper and lower pulley heads arethrough bolted for strength and have threaded brass inserts that receivethe lower and upper bolts 302, 304 and the ends of the left and rightshock absorbers to increase durability. Although the cable is held undertension like the Easyrig® 3 Cinema's cable 44, the cable retracts athalf the speed of the Easyrig® 3 Cinema's cable if the quick release 296is initiated. This slower retraction feature is important for safe useof lighter weapons systems and shields.

In the current embodiment, the frame 102 is an aluminum extrusion with agenerally trapezoidal cross-section that is 30 mm×55 mm with a 1.5 mmthick sidewall. The frame extrusion is shaped to accommodate the dualshock absorber cable reel mechanism 306, has a larger surface areapositioned against the utility vest 508 for stability in operation, andis lightweight and strong to operate in harsh conditions. The boom 122is made of 6061 aluminum in the current embodiment, is shaped viawaterjet computer-aided cutting processes, and is finished with multicamcamouflage dipping technology. The right and left side plates 124, 126are made of aluminum with a thickness of 4.75 mm. The side plates aresufficiently thick to be strong and durable, but are minimally bulky tohave a minimalist visual signature when pointed towards an enemyposition. The complete boom has a weight of 510 g in the currentembodiment. The spacers 248, 258, 268, 278 are made of aluminum in thecurrent embodiment and, in combination with the hex nuts and bolts,pinch and hold the right and left side plates in place to keep the sideplates straight and parallel after welding. The sleeves 510, 512, 414are made of military-specification nylon fabric in the currentembodiment. The cable 290 is made of poly-paraphenylene terephthalamidein the current embodiment for strength and durability.

FIGS. 12-13 illustrate the improved exit aperture 284 of the presentinvention. More particularly, the exit aperture is defined by the spacebetween the right side plate 124, left side plate 126, cable supportelement 246 with spacer 248, and front upper pulley 252. Because thesupport point at the intermediate portion 402 of a shield 400 in theready position is well forward of the exit aperture rather than directlybelow the exit aperture, the exit aperture has to allow for at least 30°of displacement from the frame axis, and preferably 120° of displacement(denoted by the double-headed arrow 310) of the cable 290 withoutcausing the cable to rub and wear on the boom 122. The cable ispositioned at an angle close to horizontal when the attached weaponssystem is a large machine gun. This range of cable movement isaccomplished by providing an angled exit aperture that opens bothforward and downward, with the cable support element at the top toprevent the cable from rubbing and wearing on the boom, and the frontupper pulley 252 at the bottom to assist with smooth movement of thecable in and out of the exit aperture. The exit aperture faces at leastpartly away from the frame axis 112, and is open in a forward directionaway from the frame axis, such that the cable may angle away from theframe 102 at an angle without contacting the boom 122.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the support structure for a shield and weaponssystem 100 is shown in use being worn by a wearer 500 in the standingposition. The wearer is shown wearing a standard Modular LightweightLoad-carrying Equipment (MOLLE) utility vest 508 covering the wearer'schest 502 and back 516, and a MOLLE belt rig 506 around the wearer'ships 518. An upper sleeve 510, intermediate sleeve 512 are removablyattached to the utility vest in line with the wearer's spine 504, andthe bottom sleeve 514 is removably attached to the belt rig in line withthe wearer's spine. The sleeves are strong, yet flexible, eliminate theneed for side supports and adjustment struts, and enable a customizablefit using the MOLLE attachment points on the utility vest and belt rig.In use, the frame 102 portion of the support structure for a shield isremovably inserted into the sleeves such that the lower end 110 isreceived within the bottom sleeve, the upper end 108 protrudes above theupper sleeve, and the front 300 of the frame faces the wearer's back.The first boom portion 286 of the boom 122 extends upward in alignmentwith the frame axis 112 so that the second boom portion 288 can curveforward above the wearer's head 520. The support structure for a shieldand weapons system 100 supports an attached weapon far forward of theexit aperture 284 of the boom with the user 500 leaning his or her head520 forward and canting his head to create a “cheek weld” to the stockof the weapon being employed. In contrast, the Easyrig® 3 Cinema isdesigned for the user to be standing upright with his or her head in anormal erect position, which does not work for shooting.

Referring now to FIGS. 14-15, the support structure for a shield andweapons system 100 is shown in use being worn by a wearer 500 in theseated position in a rotary wing aircraft. As is also the case in thestanding position, the support structure for a shield and weapons systemsupports the weapons system in alignment with the wearer's spine 504with the boom extending forward on a medial plane of the wearer directlyover the wearer's head 520 rather than off to one side. The cable reelmechanism transfers the weight of the attached weapons system 400 to thewearer's hips 518, and the free end 292 of the cable 290 urges theweapons system to exert a compressive force on the wearer's chest 502.The support structure for a shield and weapons system enables the wearerto switch between the standing and seated positions without requiringany adjustments, and enables the wearer to still hold the weapons systemin the comfortable, natural shooting position he or she is accustomed towith the butt 404 of the weapons system on the wearer's shoulder 522.The support structure for a shield and weapons system also enhancesaccuracy by stabilizing shooting from rotary wing aircraft.

Regardless of the wearer's position, the support structure for a shieldand weapons system 100 enables the wearer to hold aim on target for muchlonger periods of time and with higher levels of stability compared toan unsupported weapons system. The support structure for a shield andweapons system improves sight management, trigger control, operationalendurance, and shot follow through of the user by removing the majorityof muscular and skeletal load from the wearer. The weapons systemenables the shooter to employ the same level of accuracy that waspreviously reserved for those shooting in the prone position. Thisallows the user to be more effective and permits safer and bettertactics to be employed.

The support structure for a shield and weapons system 100 also enablesthe ability to shoot one-handed by supporting the attached weapon wellforward of the exit aperture 284 of the boom 122 that would be severelyinhibited if the weapon were supported vertically directly beneath theboom. Vertical support of the weapon directly beneath the boom also doesnot allow for the traditional shooting stance that shooters use tocontrol and manage recoil. Recoil management is one of the mostimportant aspects that need to be addressed to shoot accurately andrepeatedly during combat. Therefore, it is not sufficient for thesupport structure for a shield and weapons system 100 to merely supporta weapon, but the weapon must be supported in a way that promotes recoilmanagement. The forward weapons support position enabled by the supportstructure for a shield and weapons system 100 also pushes the stock intothe shooter's shoulder, which greatly aids recoil management.

Referring now to FIGS. 16-20, the support structure for a shield andweapons system 100 is shown in use being worn by a wearer 500 to supporta shield 600 with viewing port 610 (FIG. 16), a shield 700 with an upperfirearm rest 710 (FIGS. 17 and 18), and a shield 800 with opposing sidefirearm rests 810, 812 (FIGS. 19 and 20). The shield 600 has a right612, left 614, top 616, bottom (not visible), rear 628, and front 630. Aright D-ring 624 and a left D-ring 626 are attached to the rear of theshield. A shield cable 618 has an intermediate portion connected to clip294 and opposing ends connected to the D-rings by a right clip 620 and aleft clip 622.

The shield 700 has a right 712, left 714, top 716, bottom 718, rear 726,and front 728. A right D-ring 724 and a left D-ring (not visible) areattached to the rear of the shield. A shield cable 720 has anintermediate portion connected to clip 294 and opposing ends connectedto the D-rings by a right clip 722 and a left clip (not visible).

The shield 800 has a left 814, right 816, top 818, bottom 820, rear 832,and front 834. A left D-ring 828 and a right D-ring 830 are attached tothe rear of the shield. A shield cable 822 has an intermediate portionconnected to clip 294 and opposing ends connected to the D rings by aleft clip 824 and a right clip 826.

The cable reel mechanism 306 transfers the weight of the attached shield600, 700, 800 or shield and weapon 400 combination to the wearer's hips518. The wearer can carry the weight of up to level IV ballistic shieldswithout requiring the use of both hands to support the shield, therebyenabling the wearer to also carry a rifle or side arm in a readyposition. The wearer can also rapidly swivel even heavy shields left,right, up, and down to adjust for the changes in the tactical situation.

The angle of the cable 290 brings the attached shield 600, 700, 800 backinto the wearer 500 for greater control of the shield. In the case wherethe shield possesses a firearm rest 710, 810, 812, the free end 292 ofthe cable urges the shield against the magazine well 406 of the weaponsystem 400 to create axial compression between the shield and thewearer's shoulder 522. This compression enables the wearer to still holdthe weapon system in the comfortable, natural shooting position he orshe is accustomed to with the butt 404 of the weapon system on thewearer's shoulder. The user can also use his or her shooting hand 524 toreload the weapon system or perform other countermeasures without losingcontrol of the weapon system while using his or her other hand 526 tocontrol the shield.

While a current embodiment of a support structure for a shield andweapons system has been described in detail, it should be apparent thatmodifications and variations thereto are possible, all of which fallwithin the true spirit and scope of the invention. For example, althougha MOLLE utility vest and belt rig have been disclosed, the currentinvention is suitable for use with any body armor, other militaryapparel, and backpacks that are MOLLE-enabled. Furthermore, the supportstructure for a shield and weapons system disclosed is also suitable forcivilian hunting applications in addition to the disclosed military andlaw enforcement applications. In addition, although rifles have beendisclosed, the support structure for a shield and weapons system is alsosuitable for use with medium and heavy machine guns and other firearmsof comparable weight, including large caliber rifles and/or rifles withheavy optical scopes or other attachments. Although a welded aluminumboom has been disclosed, the boom can also be made from injection moldedplastic or via 3D printing. Although the shield being attached to thefree end of the cable has been disclosed, an intermediate cable or arrayof cables can also connect the shield to the free end of the cable toensure the shield remains balanced and held at the desired elevation andorientation with respect to the wearer. Finally, the support structurefor a shield and weapon system is suitable for use with any type ofshield, including riot shields, transparent shields, shields defininggun ports, shields defining viewing ports, and ballistic shields. Withrespect to the above description then, it is to be realized that theoptimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, toinclude variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and mannerof operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obviousto one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to thoseillustrated in the drawings and described in the specification areintended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of theprinciples of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications andchanges will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is notdesired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operationshown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications andequivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of theinvention.

We claim:
 1. A support structure for a protective shield comprising: aframe adapted for connection to a wearer; the frame having an elongatedfirst portion defining a frame axis and adapted for positioning adjacentto the spine of the wearer; the frame having an upper end; a boomconnected to the upper end of the frame and having a first boom portionextending away from the frame, and a second boom portion angled withrespect to the first boom portion and extending away from the frameaxis; the boom having a free end; a cable reel mechanism connected tothe frame; a cable having a first end connected to the cable reelmechanism and a free end extending from the free end of the boom andadapted to connect to the shield; and the cable reel mechanism includinga biasing facility to exert tension on the cable, such that tension onthe cable provides support for the shield.
 2. The support structure ofclaim 1 wherein the free end of the boom includes a cable supportelement, and wherein the free end of the cable extends from the cablesupport element to the shield and remains spaced apart from the boom. 3.The support structure of claim 2 wherein the free end of the boomdefines an exit aperture through which the cable passes, the exitaperture facing at least partly away from the axis, such that the cablemay angle away from the frame without contacting the boom.
 4. Thesupport structure of claim 1 wherein the free end of the boom is open ina forward direction away from the axis, such that the cable may extendaway from the frame at an angle.
 5. The support structure of claim 4wherein the angle is at least 30 degrees from the frame axis.
 6. Thesupport structure of claim 1 wherein the cable reel mechanism includes apair of pneumatic springs.
 7. The support structure of claim 5 includinga cable take-up mechanism between the springs.
 8. The support structureof claim 1 wherein the cable reel mechanism includes a plurality ofpulleys supporting the cable.
 9. The support structure of claim 1wherein the cable reel mechanism includes a block and tackle mechanismof limited length providing an extended range of cable payout lengthrelative to the limited length of the block and tackle mechanism. 10.The support structure of claim 1 wherein the frame includes a facilityfor connection to the back of the wearer, and wherein the free end ofthe cable is operable to connect to an intermediate portion of a weaponssystem, and to urge the shield to exert a compressive force on the chestof the wearer.
 11. The support structure of claim 1 wherein the frameincludes a facility for connection to the back of the wearer, andwherein the boom extends forward on a medial plane of the wearer. 12.The support structure of claim 1 wherein the shield is selected from thegroup consisting of riot shields, transparent shields, shields defininggun ports, shields defining viewing ports, and ballistic shields.
 13. Amethod of suspending a protective shield that presses a weapons systemagainst a wearer comprising the steps of: providing a frame with a cablereel mechanism and an extending boom from which a free end of a cableextends under tension; connecting the frame to the back of a wearer;connecting a portion of a shield having a weapons system support to thefree end of the cable; positioning a forend of the weapons system in theweapon system support; positioning a butt of the weapons system on thewearer's shoulder; and extending the cable at an angle away from theuser to generate a compressive force on the shoulder from the shieldpressing against the weapons system.
 14. The method of claim 13 whereinthe angle is at least 30 degrees from the vertical when the frame is ina vertical orientation.
 15. The method of claim 13 including positioningthe boom directly over the wearer's head.
 16. The method of claim 13wherein the weapons system is selected from the group consisting ofrifles, medium machine guns, and heavy machine guns.
 17. The method ofclaim 13 wherein the shield is selected from the group consisting ofriot shields, transparent shields, shields defining gun ports, shieldsdefining viewing ports, and ballistic shields.